Kindergarten rest mat



m T N E V m STEWART 8. BROWN 36 & m

Dec. 14, 1965 s. 5. BROWN KINDERGARTEN REST MAT FiledApril 29, 1963 United States Patent Office 3,222,695 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 3,222,695 KENDERGARTEN REST MAT Stewart S. Brown, 5207 Irwin Ave, San Diego, Calif. Filed Apr. 2a, 1953, Ser. No. 276,663 2 Claims. (Cl. --344) The present invention relates generally to rest mats and more particularly to a kindergarten rest mat which is adapted to be rolled into a self-contained package for easy storage.

It is general practice, in kindergarten, for children to take at least one rest period during the daily session. As it is not generally economically feasible to provide beds for each child it is customary to use large towels made from terry cloth or similar material. Each child brings from home a towel which he spreads on the floor to recline on during the rest period. These make-shift mats are folded and placed in suitable storage cabinets when not in use. It is not usually practical to Wash these mats after each days use. In re-using the mats there is no assurance that each child gets the mat used the previous day. Also there is no practical way of assuring that the same side of the mat will be placed on the floor each time it is used. This is definitely unsanitary and to some extent presents a health problem since germs may be transmitted from one child to another through contaminated mats.

It is accordingly the primary object of this invention to provide an improved rest mat which can be rolled up into a self-contained unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved re-usable rest mat which is so constructed that it will always be used with the same side presented towards the floor.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved rest mat which may be rolled into a selfcontained storage form and which is provided with tabs suitably located to receive identifying indicia.

Finally, it is an object to provide an improved rest mat of the aforementioned character which is simple to use and which will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this in- Vention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be here inafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my improved rest mat;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view and FIGURE 3 is a view showing the mat rolled into storage form.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 my improved rest mat, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown in the position it assumes when unrolled and placed on the fiood. It consists essentially of an elongated body 12 having a head portion 13, a foot portion 14 and parallel sides 16 and 18. The head portion 13 is provided with laterally extending flaps 20 and 22, the purpose of which will be hereinafter disclosed. Flaps 20 and 22 may be an integral part of body portion 12 or they may be formed separately therefrom and united therewith by any suitable Mats ltl may be individualized by printing identifying indicia 32 on the head portion 13 thereof. This may conveniently take the form of the childs name which teaches reading in a most practical way. The fact that a great many names are used in a single classroom makes this feature attractive. If desired, however, a number could be used additionally or as a substitute for the name. In addition to the childs name large prints of zoo animals, circus time activities and many other colorful and interesting patterns could be printed on these mats. They may be made of any washable material, for example terry cloth, and should be large enough to comforably contain the average five year old in a prone position during his daily rest period.

FIGURE 3 shows my rest mat in rolled form ready for storage. Rolling of the mat is easily accomplished by starting at foot portion 14 and progressively rolling the body 12 until the rolled portion rests on the head portion 13. The upper part, that is, the part distal from the foot portion 14-, of the head portion 13, which carries the male snap fastener members 24 and 28 is then brought over the rolled portion and the male members 24 and 28 are engaged with the female members 26 and 30 respectively on the part of the head portion proximal to the foot portion 14. It will be seen that the head portion now forms a pocket which readily encloses the rolled portion of the mat. Snap fastener members 24, 26 and 28, 30 are positioned a sufiicient distance inwardly from the lateral ends of the flaps 20 and 22 respectively to provide, when the mat is in rolled form, tabs 34 and 36. These tabs may be imprinted with identifying indicia 38 which is similar to that imprinted on the inside of the mat. This will assist the child in locating the mat on the storage shelf.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a kindergarten rest mat that is more sanitary than the present makeshift mats and which can be easily rolled into a self-contained package for convenient storage.

It is understood that minor variation from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A rest mat made from flexible material adapted to be rolled, said mat comprising:

an elongated body having a head portion and a foot portion unitary therewith;

flaps unitary with and extending laterally from each side of said head portion; and

co-operating fastening means in each flap, said foot portion being rollable on itself onto that part of the head portion proximal thereto, the distal part of said head portion being foldable back over the rolled up foot portion, and said fastening means being interengageable to retain said foot portion within said head portion.

2. A rest mat as claimed in claim 1 in which said fastening means comprises a pair of inter-engaging snap fasteners on each said flap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,319 1/1938 Hedden et al. 5344 X 2,528,768 11/1950 Marsh 5-344 X 2,898,609 8/1959 Storie 5344 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A REST MAT MADE FROM FLEXIBLE MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE ROLLED, SAID MAT COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A HEAD PORTION AND A FOOT PORTION UNITARY THEREWITH; FLAPS UNITARY WITH AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID HEAD PORTION; AND CO-OPERATING FASTENING MEANS IN EACH FLAP, SAID FOOT PORTION BEING ROLLABLE ON ITSELF ONTO THAT PAT OF THE HEAD PORTION PROXIMAL THERETO, THE DISTAL PART OF SAID HEAD PORTION BEING FOLDABLE BACK OVER THE ROLLED UP FOOT PORTION, AND SAID FASTENING MEANS BEING INTERENGAGEABLE TO RETAIN SAID FOOT PORTION WITHIN SAID HEAD PORTION. 